I have been watching all sorts of cross stitch videos on YouTube. Most are from people participating in Floss Tube (I'm not) and also planning on various stitch alongs (SAL) which start January 1, 2015. So I'm going to try to set some goals for myself for 2015.
First of all, the reason for this is I am downsizing. I've gone from about a 1765 sq ft home with an attic and 2-car garage AND a shed to less than 1100 sq ft, no attic, no garage, no shed. 40+ years of accumulated stuff that was never really cleaned out nor sorted was basically stuffed into one room until a month ago.
One month ago I had been in and out of that room, unpacking books and moving them to a bookcase or to a countertop. I finished a box, tore it down and sat down to knit. I was not feeling any joy with the knitting so frogged the thing and tried to decide what to knit. I need more socks. I went back to that room and my feet got wet with COLD water in the same place I'd been walking back and forth a few hours earlier. Well today the room is basically empty of all the 'stuff' and the people are supposed to be here today to clean the carpet. The plan is to sort out everything that goes back into that room into bins based on what it is (supplies vs project, important papers, etc) and those bins will be, hopefully, stored in the closet, which is about 8' wide with sliding doors. Then I can assemble a table to use as a project table for sewing or cutting or finishing.
I expect to make a trip or two to the Goodwill donation trailer about 1/2 mile away from me as well as several trips to McKays. McKays is a wonderful shop located in 4 cities in Tennessee (here along with Memphis, Knoxville and Nashville) which will buy or give credit for books, cd's, dvd's, VHS, electronic games and records. There are some rules but they are pretty reasonable and common sense. Those books rejected by McKays will go to the library so they can sell them or, in the case of a few, maybe use them in their collection so others may enjoy them.
Some knitting things may be frogged and returned to stash. My current knitting projects include a pair of socks called Shazbat that are being knit 2 at a time, magic loop, in Cascade Heritage in a very dark green. My mother gave me a kit she had purchased and asked me to knit it up for her. That needs to be finished off and blocked then returned to her. That is a priority this coming year. I have my Magic Carpet Ride which is not being frogged due to all the beads. I want to finish the socks by the end of January and do more work on MCR. I have a pullover about half done and a cardigan which only needs the front band/collar to be completed. For the pullover, it is probably going to be finished sometime in 2015. The cardigan needs some work as I don't like the way the band is created then attached. I believe I want to make it more as you would a border on a shawl, knitting and attaching as you go. I'll need to write or chart out the band and plan the attaching stitching. That also is to be finished in 2015. There are 2 other sweaters which will be frogged and started again in the future.
Spinning will be strictly from stash - no new purchases of fiber. I have 11 5-gallon buckets currently crammed with fiber plus other fiber such as a few pounds of cotton, a batt from Loop, some silk and some alpaca. Plus I found one of those giant zip-locks with some fleece that may be older than my grands.
There is a lone star quilt that needs to be finished. I've been hand quilting it and I want to get one more point of the star finished and the adjoining fill-in done. I have a quilt top I gave to my daughter. That needs backing and then tied as a comforter, bound and returned to her. I'll need to decide on backing and binding. I believe I have batting available to use for it. I should have yarn I can use to tie it as well.
Weaving - there is warp for 2 dish towels currently on the loom. I ran into an issue with the pattern which is now corrected. The weaving that was on the loom was unpicked and started again. I hope to finish this before the end of January. One grand wants a scarf and I think I'll warp the loom and make a faux-Burberry scarf for that person. That should take maybe a month to do at most.
That leaves cross stitch projects - which are very numerous. None will be frogged or trashed. What I will do is pick some out to focus on. When they are done, other oldies will be chosen to complete. There will be one new start on January 1.
Heaven and Earth is having a free SAL for the bulletin board participants. Sign-ups closed at the first of December. I chose Undercover. If you click on the Heaven and Earth link, it will take you to that design's material pack. The design is no longer available. The SAL will only be a portion of that design, basically a portrait look for the fawn. I purchased a material pack with fabric and it is here and ready to go. I'll work on it for one week a month. I need to get at least 1/2 page finished to get another one of the SAL choices free. There is one of some golden retreiver pups that I would like. The other weeks of the month will be used to work on my Fireside Fairytales, the Pink Spotted Orchid and one of my oldies. First up will be Heirloom Christmas Sampler as it is the closest to finished. There is some stitching, all the beadwork and all the other embellishments to add. Then it will be framed to appear at Christmas time. After that will come the Desiderata. I want to finish 5 more bands on it. If it is completed, I'll pull out another UFO and work on it until it is done.
I had a computer hiccup and so there are no photos today. Hopefully I can fix the issue and insert the photos in a few days.
Meanwhile I wish you and yours all the joy, peace and love this Christmas season brings and may you have a wonderful New Year.
Enjoy!
Friday, December 19, 2014
Monday, October 13, 2014
Oops!
I just realized that I missed posting around the first. Big oops! So now I can play catch up and show what I've been up to.
First of all, cross stitch. I spent most of my time working on Fireside Fairytales from Heaven and Earth Designs. I think this was about where I was when I last posted here.
I am almost done with this first page of stitching, almost 10,000 stitches. So the second photo is where I am today. My goal this week is to finish this first page and continue on page 2.
It's pretty nice to see just how far I have come on this. Oh, the sparkly stuff? That is Sulky Sliver in Silver, that I'm using to show vertical columns of 10 stitches. There is also a line across the top. In addition there is a line of stitches on top of over 2 under 2 and on the side marking off 10 stitch sections. I love the way the colors show more now - except what looks blue is actually purples.
The non-HAED stitching I worked on is a piece by Mystic Stitch called Blue Faery Moon. I'm stitching this with 2 strands of floss over 2 threads, again using 28 count evenweave. I had started this long ago and shortly after starting, my world went topsy-turvy and this was put away. There are only 26 colors - mostly blues - and it's really fun to do. So here are where I picked it up and where I was after a week of stitching: Before:
and After:
Hopefully future pictures will be much better in quality.
My knitting progress photos would be similar to watching paint dry - just more of the same - so no updates this time around. Spinning is the same.
The other things that occurred are that I found more of my WIPS so there will be a bit more variety showing up and that I have started a class sponsored by Etsy. Etsy, for those sheltered souls, is a website dedicated to craftspeople. A craftsperson can set up a shop and sell their wares internationally if they desire or just in their own country. The class will give the basics on setting up the shop, marketing your products, and other relevant topics. There will be one class to photograph our products so we can post them for sale. Chattanooga is one of 10 US locales for this class (guinea pigs anyone?) and the others in the class do a variety of things - from making books to painting watercolors.
More later when things get going.
I will be back somewhere around November 1 with another update. Until then: ENJOY! Photo below - our local sentries.
First of all, cross stitch. I spent most of my time working on Fireside Fairytales from Heaven and Earth Designs. I think this was about where I was when I last posted here.
It's pretty nice to see just how far I have come on this. Oh, the sparkly stuff? That is Sulky Sliver in Silver, that I'm using to show vertical columns of 10 stitches. There is also a line across the top. In addition there is a line of stitches on top of over 2 under 2 and on the side marking off 10 stitch sections. I love the way the colors show more now - except what looks blue is actually purples.
The non-HAED stitching I worked on is a piece by Mystic Stitch called Blue Faery Moon. I'm stitching this with 2 strands of floss over 2 threads, again using 28 count evenweave. I had started this long ago and shortly after starting, my world went topsy-turvy and this was put away. There are only 26 colors - mostly blues - and it's really fun to do. So here are where I picked it up and where I was after a week of stitching: Before:
My knitting progress photos would be similar to watching paint dry - just more of the same - so no updates this time around. Spinning is the same.
The other things that occurred are that I found more of my WIPS so there will be a bit more variety showing up and that I have started a class sponsored by Etsy. Etsy, for those sheltered souls, is a website dedicated to craftspeople. A craftsperson can set up a shop and sell their wares internationally if they desire or just in their own country. The class will give the basics on setting up the shop, marketing your products, and other relevant topics. There will be one class to photograph our products so we can post them for sale. Chattanooga is one of 10 US locales for this class (guinea pigs anyone?) and the others in the class do a variety of things - from making books to painting watercolors.
More later when things get going.
I will be back somewhere around November 1 with another update. Until then: ENJOY! Photo below - our local sentries.
Monday, September 1, 2014
Let's do an update...
I've finished my first rotation in the Heaven and Earth Designs Bulletin Board so I can update my progress.
First of all, Fireside Fairytales. I've just picked up this one again as week 5 is for new starts and discontinued patterns. I have neither so just picked up the biggest.
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I've posted the photo from August 8th and then from August 14th. While it doesn't show there are two vertical columns in purple family colors and in the most recent one, the start of the arch bringing you into the room.
The following week was confetti. I broke out Seasons Winter but discovered too many errors and frogged the whole thing and started again. This chart is 75 stitches across and 231 rows tall. I've completed 5 full rows and some partial rows.
The background material is actually white - I guess the phone or the night lighting caused it to look funky.
The funny looking area above the top row is hem stitching as the top and bottom will be fringed when this is done. Hem stitching will hold the fabric and not allow it to ravel further.
The final week was HAEDless stitching - non-HAED designs and I broke out an old start of mine, Big Red by The Silver Lining. I adore Marc's flowers and lighthouses. I have five designs of his in process but Big Red will probably be my focus for a while.
So below are my start and end - August 22nd and August 28th.
This starting photo represents 1 page, though incomplete, of the pattern. The ending photo is with the addition of a 2nd page (to the left of the first page) and the start of pages 3 & 4 which sit over. These will complete most of the stems and begin the lowest of 3 poppies.
I do the backstitching before the cross stitch so that I know where I am in the pattern. The needle slips under that backstitch and it does look good after stitching.
There is not a lot of other news. I will be going to a knitting night at Genuine Purl, my local yarn shop (LYS) on Thursdays to get me to finish some socks I have in progress. There is also a mystery sock knit along (MOCK) starting today on Ravelry. The pattern is Shazam in memory of Robin Williams. I will be joining that and have downloaded the first clue. There are 4 clues, one per week. I need to split a skein and wind so that I can do each clue for each sock. At the end of the Mock, I'll have a completed pair of socks.
So crafty stuff continues and the 90+degree weather seems to have wandered elsewhere so that does mean fall is coming.
I have two family members living in the northeastern portion of the country. Both are reporting the first changes toward fall. I'm not seeing anything here, but don't expect to for a few more weeks.
Off to stitch some more. Enjoy what you enjoy doing and I'll be back with more updates in about a month.
First of all, Fireside Fairytales. I've just picked up this one again as week 5 is for new starts and discontinued patterns. I have neither so just picked up the biggest.
The background material is actually white - I guess the phone or the night lighting caused it to look funky.
The funny looking area above the top row is hem stitching as the top and bottom will be fringed when this is done. Hem stitching will hold the fabric and not allow it to ravel further.
The final week was HAEDless stitching - non-HAED designs and I broke out an old start of mine, Big Red by The Silver Lining. I adore Marc's flowers and lighthouses. I have five designs of his in process but Big Red will probably be my focus for a while.
So below are my start and end - August 22nd and August 28th.
I do the backstitching before the cross stitch so that I know where I am in the pattern. The needle slips under that backstitch and it does look good after stitching.
There is not a lot of other news. I will be going to a knitting night at Genuine Purl, my local yarn shop (LYS) on Thursdays to get me to finish some socks I have in progress. There is also a mystery sock knit along (MOCK) starting today on Ravelry. The pattern is Shazam in memory of Robin Williams. I will be joining that and have downloaded the first clue. There are 4 clues, one per week. I need to split a skein and wind so that I can do each clue for each sock. At the end of the Mock, I'll have a completed pair of socks.
So crafty stuff continues and the 90+degree weather seems to have wandered elsewhere so that does mean fall is coming.
I have two family members living in the northeastern portion of the country. Both are reporting the first changes toward fall. I'm not seeing anything here, but don't expect to for a few more weeks.
Off to stitch some more. Enjoy what you enjoy doing and I'll be back with more updates in about a month.
Sunday, August 17, 2014
At Long Last
I'm back again - within the same month even. I'm not responsible for any shock, awe or cardiac events following this announcement.
What I'm currently working on are 3 cross stitch projects in rotation, 2 spinning projects and one knitting project.
Two of the cross stitch projects are from Heaven and Earth Designs. The first is from an artist named Randal Spangler. It's name is Fireside Fairytales. This is a what I aspire to achieve in my stitching:
and this is where I am: If you look in the upper left corner of the design above - well there is a ways to go for me. Heaven and Earth Designs (HAED) has a bulletin board and they have stitch alongs (SAL) weekly. Week 2 was for BAP (big a$$ project) or sleeping works in progress. This week, week 3 is for confetti stitching. That is when there are many color changes in a small space. Mr. Spangler's designs qualify. Oh, this is being stitched on 28 count fabric. In other words, 28 stitches = one inch. This design is 450 stitches wide by 569 stitches high. For my confetti week, I'm working on a Storykeep, the HAED term for a bookmark. Mine is called Seasons Winter. She's 75 stitches wide by 312 high and has 86 colors of floss. In that small an area, yep, there is confetti. I took this photo yesterday with 93 stitches in place. So this is the full width of the storykeep. I have stitched more, but won't update photos until next week when I need to post my 'After' photo.
The last week of the month is for HAEDless stitching - non-HAED designs. For that I've pulled out my Big Red by The Silver Lining. This one was started at least 18 months ago - maybe longer. Marc Sastaad, the designer/artist, is probably my favorite for flowers and lighthouses.
My results to date are
The spinning in process - well I only have one photo to share. This is my support spinning on a tahkli and it's cotton. The tahkli (mine anyway) is imported from India and is a metal shaft with a brass whorl. I have 17 oz of cotton sliver (sly-ver is the way it's pronounced) of 4 colors - white, brown, green and tan.
The other spinning will have to wait on the photo op because it has dark colors to it so I have to wait for a bright day. I have a 4 oz braid of Targhee, a USA developed sheep breed. I think it will be sock yarn when it's finished.
My knitting project is one I had set aside last year and is a pair of socks. The pattern is called Paraphernalia. I'm knitting it in a brown colorway and have to dig up the source and name. Anyway, more dark colors so photo op will have to wait.
The spinning and knitting projects are for those times I am watching a movie and want to actually see most of the movie.
Since the stitching projects have weekly SALs, this should force me to update at least once per month. As a project is completed, another of the same sort will be pulled out and will join in. Some of these projects go back years - but I'm not going to say how many - other than some are older than my grandkids.
I want to learn how to mat and frame my needlework and some prints I have. I already have found instructions to create my own dry-mount style photo enlargements and as the supplies go on sale, will try doing some of those for gifts and my own gallery wall. Some family members have taken some terrific photos so will see if they will allow me to use those as well.
I am also trying to downsize my inventory of stuff. I realize I have too much so need to pare it to the things I enjoy and use on a fairly regular basis. I've started with books. Stash of fiber, yarn and stitchables will be reduced by completing the projects or using the patterns I've gathered through the years.
One of my grandkids asked me if I had some yarn they could have - so I got rid of 5 skeins of yarn. It's not bad yarn but yarn I didn't have a need for. The grand did so we're both happy. I have more if she needs it.
Until next time, Enjoy!
Thursday, August 7, 2014
A Very Quick Note
Just a very quick update to say after a hard drive crash, repair and now getting things back to normal. I need to update and find my backup of some of my photos and then can post updates.
I'm now doing more cross stitching and spinning (cotton on a tahkli) with some earring design and creation taking place as well. Hopefully will finish some projects along the way as well.
I'll be making this more about my progress in the crafts and as motivation for me to get out of this slump and make some progress in my healing.
My plan is to have something worth posting next week, by Saturday.
I'm now doing more cross stitching and spinning (cotton on a tahkli) with some earring design and creation taking place as well. Hopefully will finish some projects along the way as well.
I'll be making this more about my progress in the crafts and as motivation for me to get out of this slump and make some progress in my healing.
My plan is to have something worth posting next week, by Saturday.
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Deja Vu again, and again, and again...
I've just spent the last hour or so looking at my old and older entries on this blog. I look at all the changes that have happened and realize that those entries were just the start. I'm still changing and changing and will be doing more changing.
I have learned that some people I've known for years - well I didn't know them as well as I thought I did. I learned that new friends can mean more to you in a short period of time than others can in years.
And I have learned that government is government and ever the more shall be so. In other words, SNAFU was created by government workers and is still the most appropriate acronym ever to fit so perfectly. My recent experiences follow - and does show the SNAFU and FUBAR to their finest. For those who do not know what those acronyms mean, I'll give hints or google them. SNAFU is Situation Normal all _______ up. FUBAR is ____________ up beyond all reason. So the _____ is the same word in both situations and the G-rated word is Fouled. Putting the two together as SNAFUBAR does make sense.
Ok now for my snafubar - AHA a new one - it goes as follows:
1. Government of the US decrees that if you do not have health insurance, you must, under threat of penalty, go to a specified website and enroll.
I did that.
2. Upon completion of said enrollment, an eligibility notice is issued. Below are the highlights of the notice:
"You recently submitted an application to the Health Insurance Marketplace. We reviewed your application to see if you can get health coverage through the Marketplace and help paying for coverage and health services through:
· A new tax credit that can be used right away to lower your monthly premium costs
· Health plans that lower your out-of-pocket costs
· TennCare (Medicaid) and CoverKids (Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)), which are joint federal and state programs that help with medical costs for people with limited income or special health care needs"
OK, that's what I thought this program was supposed to do. Good, I'm in the right place.
Patience, grasshopper, there are lessons still to learn.
elieve, which apparently advised me "You’re not eligible for a tax credit and cost-sharing reductions (lower copayments, coinsurance and deductibles) for Health Insurance Marketplace coverage because you or a tax filer who will claim you indicated on the application that they’re filing a separate federal income tax
return from their spouse."
Duh I am legally married to DH. We just haven't lived together in 1 year, 2 months and 14 days.
The final time I called the government healthcare number, I talked with a man who actually understood what was going on and said he could complete a new application for me and get this resolved. We discussed the options.
After more discussion I was advised that I probably would not like the premium amounts of any of the coverages available through the website.
Note: My COBRA coverage from my former employer would be in excess of 2/3 of my monthly income. The market health plans fall in a similar price range.
*** Actually the most recent earth-shattering business the TN legislation has been involved in was making hand-holding for minors in school illegal. See this site for more information. Teaser:
Like any state legislature dealing with 8 percent unemployment and thousands of its residents facing disenfranchisement, the Tennessee Senate is targeting the menace of underage hand-holding.
Last week, the Senate passed SB 3310, a bill to update the state’s abstinence-based sex education curriculum to define holding hands and kissing as “gateway sexual activities.” Just one senator voted against the legislation; 28 voted in favor.
Since the bill specifically bans teachers from “demonstrating gateway sexual activity”, educators would be prohibited from even demonstrating what hand-holding is. Breaking these laws could result in a lawsuit, as Hunter from Daily Kos notes:
So we have Federal SNAFUBARs and State SNAFUBARs and I'm not quite sure which is worse.
Meanwhile on the home front Ravelry members are in the midst of Sock Madness 8 (SM8). Round 2 is finishing up so I expect round 3 will start within the next week. The pattern for sock 2 in SM8 looks so very elegant. The challenge with #2 is called gauge. Gauge for knitters is measured by stitches per inch and rows per inch. My typical socks are knit at 64 stitches around - approximately 8-9 stitches per inch and 9-11 rows per inch. Sock 2 is 80 stitches around and about 15 or 16 rows per inch. Knitters achieve this gauge by using finer yarn (strands smaller around), smaller knitting needles and even tighter knitting. Some times the result would be similar to bending rails off the train tracks with your hands. Others may be a delicate fabric, elegant in appearance because of the tiny stitches. Elements of the sock, in this case the Celtic Knot patterning, fit better in scale with the rest of the garment. The last benefit I can think of would be durability, making smaller stitches means a more dense fabric so less to snag and catch on.
My personal challenge is a pattern called Leopold. Leopold has pretty standard gauge. I have 64 stitches on the needle.
The patterns shown here are repeated on the other side of the sock as well. This is actually my 4th attempt and so far (hitting head on wall for knock on wood), it is going well. I'm knitting this as my participation in a knit-a-long (KAL) which is called do-si-do. Basically you and a partner knit the same pattern. It's all in fun and all participants support each other beautifully both with compliments (all well deserved) and help when problems arise and sympathy or cyber hugs when things go sideways (needle breaks at a wrong time or even personal things such as illness. This is one type of support that can reaffirm your faith in people.
I realize I'm quite wordy but I ran out of one medication and rattling on and on (probably ad nauseum) seems to be part of what is happening to me as a result. There are a few other things - I'm very emotional which is not like me at all. Normally I have a very good public face - others don't see the emotions inside me - which also leads to people feeling I am distant and maybe even cold. A massive headache is also raging on and on for the better part of a week now. It does go away so my system says sleep. I sleep but no rest. Not a good feeling but help is coming. I have an appointment set up where I can get some help at no charge, including medical care and the prescriptions. That is a very good thing for me.
The next entry will cover Leopold - who should be finished. The photo above is for part of the leg of the first sock. I get to do all that over again for sock 2. I think that may be part of the reason I do like knitting socks 2 at a time. It's not possible all of the time and that's ok too. I may have the 2nd Brucie going on as well. I'll show the next unfinished socks to get some special attention. Other things that get attention will be part of Show and Tell.
Until then, Spud sends a glamor shot for you to enjoy!
I have learned that some people I've known for years - well I didn't know them as well as I thought I did. I learned that new friends can mean more to you in a short period of time than others can in years.
And I have learned that government is government and ever the more shall be so. In other words, SNAFU was created by government workers and is still the most appropriate acronym ever to fit so perfectly. My recent experiences follow - and does show the SNAFU and FUBAR to their finest. For those who do not know what those acronyms mean, I'll give hints or google them. SNAFU is Situation Normal all _______ up. FUBAR is ____________ up beyond all reason. So the _____ is the same word in both situations and the G-rated word is Fouled. Putting the two together as SNAFUBAR does make sense.
Ok now for my snafubar - AHA a new one - it goes as follows:
1. Government of the US decrees that if you do not have health insurance, you must, under threat of penalty, go to a specified website and enroll.
I did that.
2. Upon completion of said enrollment, an eligibility notice is issued. Below are the highlights of the notice:
"You recently submitted an application to the Health Insurance Marketplace. We reviewed your application to see if you can get health coverage through the Marketplace and help paying for coverage and health services through:
· A new tax credit that can be used right away to lower your monthly premium costs
· Health plans that lower your out-of-pocket costs
· TennCare (Medicaid) and CoverKids (Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)), which are joint federal and state programs that help with medical costs for people with limited income or special health care needs"
OK, that's what I thought this program was supposed to do. Good, I'm in the right place.
Patience, grasshopper, there are lessons still to learn.
elieve, which apparently advised me "You’re not eligible for a tax credit and cost-sharing reductions (lower copayments, coinsurance and deductibles) for Health Insurance Marketplace coverage because you or a tax filer who will claim you indicated on the application that they’re filing a separate federal income tax
return from their spouse."
Duh I am legally married to DH. We just haven't lived together in 1 year, 2 months and 14 days.
The final time I called the government healthcare number, I talked with a man who actually understood what was going on and said he could complete a new application for me and get this resolved. We discussed the options.
After more discussion I was advised that I probably would not like the premium amounts of any of the coverages available through the website.
Note: My COBRA coverage from my former employer would be in excess of 2/3 of my monthly income. The market health plans fall in a similar price range.
*** Actually the most recent earth-shattering business the TN legislation has been involved in was making hand-holding for minors in school illegal. See this site for more information. Teaser:
Like any state legislature dealing with 8 percent unemployment and thousands of its residents facing disenfranchisement, the Tennessee Senate is targeting the menace of underage hand-holding.
Last week, the Senate passed SB 3310, a bill to update the state’s abstinence-based sex education curriculum to define holding hands and kissing as “gateway sexual activities.” Just one senator voted against the legislation; 28 voted in favor.
Since the bill specifically bans teachers from “demonstrating gateway sexual activity”, educators would be prohibited from even demonstrating what hand-holding is. Breaking these laws could result in a lawsuit, as Hunter from Daily Kos notes:
So we have Federal SNAFUBARs and State SNAFUBARs and I'm not quite sure which is worse.
Meanwhile on the home front Ravelry members are in the midst of Sock Madness 8 (SM8). Round 2 is finishing up so I expect round 3 will start within the next week. The pattern for sock 2 in SM8 looks so very elegant. The challenge with #2 is called gauge. Gauge for knitters is measured by stitches per inch and rows per inch. My typical socks are knit at 64 stitches around - approximately 8-9 stitches per inch and 9-11 rows per inch. Sock 2 is 80 stitches around and about 15 or 16 rows per inch. Knitters achieve this gauge by using finer yarn (strands smaller around), smaller knitting needles and even tighter knitting. Some times the result would be similar to bending rails off the train tracks with your hands. Others may be a delicate fabric, elegant in appearance because of the tiny stitches. Elements of the sock, in this case the Celtic Knot patterning, fit better in scale with the rest of the garment. The last benefit I can think of would be durability, making smaller stitches means a more dense fabric so less to snag and catch on.
My personal challenge is a pattern called Leopold. Leopold has pretty standard gauge. I have 64 stitches on the needle.
I realize I'm quite wordy but I ran out of one medication and rattling on and on (probably ad nauseum) seems to be part of what is happening to me as a result. There are a few other things - I'm very emotional which is not like me at all. Normally I have a very good public face - others don't see the emotions inside me - which also leads to people feeling I am distant and maybe even cold. A massive headache is also raging on and on for the better part of a week now. It does go away so my system says sleep. I sleep but no rest. Not a good feeling but help is coming. I have an appointment set up where I can get some help at no charge, including medical care and the prescriptions. That is a very good thing for me.
The next entry will cover Leopold - who should be finished. The photo above is for part of the leg of the first sock. I get to do all that over again for sock 2. I think that may be part of the reason I do like knitting socks 2 at a time. It's not possible all of the time and that's ok too. I may have the 2nd Brucie going on as well. I'll show the next unfinished socks to get some special attention. Other things that get attention will be part of Show and Tell.
Until then, Spud sends a glamor shot for you to enjoy!
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
That'll teach you....
The above title is not the original one for this post. The first post was almost completed - I was just adding a link to my insightful thoughts and bits of knowledge when my computer flipped out and ate the whole page, sending me to my link. Gone. All Gone - all my strenuous work and strenuous intellectual deep thoughts - gone.
So the title is to remind me to save this thing regularly. Then when the computer flips out, all may not be lost, just misplaced.
The reason this thing flips out, pitches a tantrum or whatever you want to call it, is because the little scroll pad that you use to move the cursor around is very, very sensitive. So sensitive, I don't have to touch it. Moving my thumb or hand over it can cause it to follow what it perceives as instructions. I've tried to find settings to turn off the pad only but no-can-do. One must use the keyboard and pad or neither one. Not acceptable in my book.
The original title was Temptations and other Things.
So I will now attempt to recreate the original post but, please be advised, all my momentous revelations are gone - poof - not to be repeated. But I am saving this so all won't be lost again, I hope.
Temptation:
Definition courtesy of Google.
Not to be confused with the group from the 60's, The Temptations, often referred to as the Temptin' Temptations.
My first temptation is called Sock Madness. Imagine over 500 knitters from all over the world waiting for a link to a pattern to be posted. They grab their copies from the link, grab yarn and needles, cast on and go. Please note the cast on may be before or after reading the instructions the whole way through. The goal: Be able to complete a pair of socks within the allotted time of two weeks, have a project page displaying both an in-progress shot and a finished shot; send an email to a secret address with a link to the project page included and a key word on the subject line.
Now Sock Madness turns into a knitting version of Musical Chairs. There are X number of places on each team. You must knit the pattern emailed to you and complete the pair of socks, project page and email before the chairs/places on your team run out. And so on until the finalists from each team go against each other (I think) in the final round - the 7th pair of socks.
The additional part of the madness is that the participants are all over the world. Ravelry (Ravelry.com is a fiber enthusiast's version of crack or meth, being very, very addictive) now has over 4 million members and is where the meeting of Sock Madness Participants resides. There are members on almost every continent (not sure about Antarctica) and so that means lots of time zones. So the patterns might come out at midnight or 2 am or noon your time. There are quite a few people who have the ability to complete a pair of socks, approximately a few hundred thousand stitches, within 24 hours - no matter what time it is in their location. There have been comments about Scandinavians and Germans having some sort of genetic advantage. Well, I'm German and Swedish and I'm not seeing any advantage. Maybe they cancelled themselves out.
Where do I fit in? Well I'm one of the people who finished under the heading reasonable effort. I've finished at least one sock or, if I were knitting 2 at a time, finished at least the heel turn on both socks. That means I will receive each pattern sent out during Sock Madness. Some of the patterns can cost as much as $12.00 if purchased separately so getting them free can represent a significant savings. Of course the yarn purchases required put you in the hole again.
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Please meet Brucie, the first round sock of Sock Madness. Named for the shark used in the movie Jaws.
That was one temptation I succumbed to. Another was my first Test Knit. Test Knitting (or crochet, etc) is just that. A person is testing a pattern for errors, understanding the steps, reading a chart if needed, and even sizing. I was testing a toe up pattern for a wonderful lady in the UK. I love the pattern (which was free) but don't have a finished photo yet.
Here is my Pickled Peaches test sock. The name is because the German yarn is Opal Sweet & Spicy colorway Peaches. My German Grandmother would make pickled peaches and taught me how. This reminds me of those wonderful gems. Hmmm, note to self, look for peaches at farmer's market this year and make up some jars for gifts.
The third temptation is the Do-si-do stitch along, also on Ravelry. This very fun event is where someone chooses a pattern to knit. Then they either find a partner to knit the same pattern, or announce they need a partner. Last year when I participated, I knit a pattern called Chartres. I called mine Flying Buttresses as the pattern kicked mine a few times.
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Here they are from last year.
I'm dancing with one of the same ladies as last year and doing a pattern called Leopold. Mine will be called Leopold or Leonard due to my confusion between Leonard Bernstein and Leopold Stokowski as a child (both were mentioned in Bugs Bunny cartoons). I knew one was still alive (at that time) and one wasn't (i thought). But both being well known in the field of music, well confusion was ok.
I would also get confused with a friend's cat - could not remember if her name was Gertrude or Geraldine. Still can't remember. She is either the oldest known cat ever or has traveled to her happy hunting grounds. If cat years are similar to dog years, she would be a few hundred years old.
My work on my depression issues continue with the medication and counseling. Both are helping a lot but I still have issues to get through or to learn how to deal with. I've made notes to take to counseling so to bring them up and see if they are real or my imagination. My children have been terrific support throughout all of this and encourage their kids, my grands, to talk with me- which can cheer me up no matter how down I am.
I will boast about one grand. The grand took a Pre-ACT and scored in the top 1% of the nation. As a result several colleges and universities are sending material to tempt (another temptation) the grand to attend their hallowed halls. Some trips are planned so visits can be made but I don't think any commitments will happen until late in the Junior year or even early Senior year. Now the grand needs to work on fields of interest or interests and see who offers the closest possibilities to fulfilling those needs/interests. I am so thrilled with the opportunities available.
The other five grands are doing well within their fields of endeavors and provide moments of true joy with their adventures. One watched a video I sent to the parent and stood and applauded while the youngest grand wanted it played again and again and again.... those with children or grands know exactly how much patience is required for dealing with this...which is why I sent it. I did provide a warning that the grands would probably love it but the parent would not like me very much for sending it.
There is one advantage I see to being hearing impaired and needing appliances. One can turn off the appliance to avoid the repeating and repeating of a song or some other irritating sound that children love. I have seen that done by those I love who do need the appliances. At times I wish I had the same ability. Years ago that purple dinosaur would about drive me to drink. Fortunately my children quickly reached the point of wanting to see something other than purple dinosaurs.
Well, friends, I'm off to knit some more. Maybe that is what Poe's Raven is saying... Knit some more instead of Never more. Until the next time, Enjoy!
So the title is to remind me to save this thing regularly. Then when the computer flips out, all may not be lost, just misplaced.
The reason this thing flips out, pitches a tantrum or whatever you want to call it, is because the little scroll pad that you use to move the cursor around is very, very sensitive. So sensitive, I don't have to touch it. Moving my thumb or hand over it can cause it to follow what it perceives as instructions. I've tried to find settings to turn off the pad only but no-can-do. One must use the keyboard and pad or neither one. Not acceptable in my book.
The original title was Temptations and other Things.
So I will now attempt to recreate the original post but, please be advised, all my momentous revelations are gone - poof - not to be repeated. But I am saving this so all won't be lost again, I hope.
Temptation:
temp·ta·tion
tem(p)ˈtāSHən/
noun
noun: temptation; plural noun: temptations
1.
a desire to do something, esp. something wrong or unwise.
"he resisted the temptation to call Celia at the office"
Not to be confused with the group from the 60's, The Temptations, often referred to as the Temptin' Temptations.
My first temptation is called Sock Madness. Imagine over 500 knitters from all over the world waiting for a link to a pattern to be posted. They grab their copies from the link, grab yarn and needles, cast on and go. Please note the cast on may be before or after reading the instructions the whole way through. The goal: Be able to complete a pair of socks within the allotted time of two weeks, have a project page displaying both an in-progress shot and a finished shot; send an email to a secret address with a link to the project page included and a key word on the subject line.
Now Sock Madness turns into a knitting version of Musical Chairs. There are X number of places on each team. You must knit the pattern emailed to you and complete the pair of socks, project page and email before the chairs/places on your team run out. And so on until the finalists from each team go against each other (I think) in the final round - the 7th pair of socks.
The additional part of the madness is that the participants are all over the world. Ravelry (Ravelry.com is a fiber enthusiast's version of crack or meth, being very, very addictive) now has over 4 million members and is where the meeting of Sock Madness Participants resides. There are members on almost every continent (not sure about Antarctica) and so that means lots of time zones. So the patterns might come out at midnight or 2 am or noon your time. There are quite a few people who have the ability to complete a pair of socks, approximately a few hundred thousand stitches, within 24 hours - no matter what time it is in their location. There have been comments about Scandinavians and Germans having some sort of genetic advantage. Well, I'm German and Swedish and I'm not seeing any advantage. Maybe they cancelled themselves out.
Where do I fit in? Well I'm one of the people who finished under the heading reasonable effort. I've finished at least one sock or, if I were knitting 2 at a time, finished at least the heel turn on both socks. That means I will receive each pattern sent out during Sock Madness. Some of the patterns can cost as much as $12.00 if purchased separately so getting them free can represent a significant savings. Of course the yarn purchases required put you in the hole again.
That was one temptation I succumbed to. Another was my first Test Knit. Test Knitting (or crochet, etc) is just that. A person is testing a pattern for errors, understanding the steps, reading a chart if needed, and even sizing. I was testing a toe up pattern for a wonderful lady in the UK. I love the pattern (which was free) but don't have a finished photo yet.
The third temptation is the Do-si-do stitch along, also on Ravelry. This very fun event is where someone chooses a pattern to knit. Then they either find a partner to knit the same pattern, or announce they need a partner. Last year when I participated, I knit a pattern called Chartres. I called mine Flying Buttresses as the pattern kicked mine a few times.
I'm dancing with one of the same ladies as last year and doing a pattern called Leopold. Mine will be called Leopold or Leonard due to my confusion between Leonard Bernstein and Leopold Stokowski as a child (both were mentioned in Bugs Bunny cartoons). I knew one was still alive (at that time) and one wasn't (i thought). But both being well known in the field of music, well confusion was ok.
I would also get confused with a friend's cat - could not remember if her name was Gertrude or Geraldine. Still can't remember. She is either the oldest known cat ever or has traveled to her happy hunting grounds. If cat years are similar to dog years, she would be a few hundred years old.
Spinning has sat on the sidelines while the crush of knitting was going on. Now I hope to finish the skein I'm working on (singles only) and get it plied. My next project will
edale sitting in my closet, also waiting. The Corriedale is the remainder of 2 lbs minus the skein and bobbin I've already spun. It's just white yarn right now - so no photos yet. After it is all done, washed and pretty, then I will post a photo or 2 and figure out what I want to knit with it. It should produce enough yardage for a lot of socks or at least one cardigan or pullover. It's outerwear for sure, a bit too scratchy for next-to-the-skin. I've finished that trip across the bobbin with the gray and am starting back to your right as you look at the photo. The fiber does have sparkly bits in it so those white dots are part of the yarn, not a flaw in anything. I have a ball about the size of a medium cantaloupe left to spin.
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My work on my depression issues continue with the medication and counseling. Both are helping a lot but I still have issues to get through or to learn how to deal with. I've made notes to take to counseling so to bring them up and see if they are real or my imagination. My children have been terrific support throughout all of this and encourage their kids, my grands, to talk with me- which can cheer me up no matter how down I am.
I will boast about one grand. The grand took a Pre-ACT and scored in the top 1% of the nation. As a result several colleges and universities are sending material to tempt (another temptation) the grand to attend their hallowed halls. Some trips are planned so visits can be made but I don't think any commitments will happen until late in the Junior year or even early Senior year. Now the grand needs to work on fields of interest or interests and see who offers the closest possibilities to fulfilling those needs/interests. I am so thrilled with the opportunities available.
The other five grands are doing well within their fields of endeavors and provide moments of true joy with their adventures. One watched a video I sent to the parent and stood and applauded while the youngest grand wanted it played again and again and again.... those with children or grands know exactly how much patience is required for dealing with this...which is why I sent it. I did provide a warning that the grands would probably love it but the parent would not like me very much for sending it.
There is one advantage I see to being hearing impaired and needing appliances. One can turn off the appliance to avoid the repeating and repeating of a song or some other irritating sound that children love. I have seen that done by those I love who do need the appliances. At times I wish I had the same ability. Years ago that purple dinosaur would about drive me to drink. Fortunately my children quickly reached the point of wanting to see something other than purple dinosaurs.
Well, friends, I'm off to knit some more. Maybe that is what Poe's Raven is saying... Knit some more instead of Never more. Until the next time, Enjoy!
Friday, January 31, 2014
New Year, old goals, new and old again
Welcome back. Last time I wrote in this I had just arrived in NJ. I've been and then moved to TN. It was a good trip except for some construction sites in VA. Closed on the condo and discovered today that it is 1080 sq ft instead of the 950 I thought it was. That's good news.
I had to update a few things after I somewhat moved in (meaning everything is here but not 100% unpacked). I replaced the dishwasher, added a disposal, installed a new water heater, and replaced the light (one bulb) with a light/fan combo (3 lights) in both my bedroom and the dining room.
At some point I will need to fix the lighting in the kitchen and add small task lights under the upper cabinets. I'll also need a new stove at some point - this one is not self cleaning and the heating elements on top all list to one side or another. None are level nor do they appear to be able to sit level - the clips to hold burners in place are not positioned the same as the holes in the stove top and it also appears someone made them fit. They work which is all I need at this point. I will also need to replace the apartment-sized washer/dryer unit with a new one. This one is old, the ventilation does not work well and the dryer doesn't do a very good job. Eventually the clothes do dry, so it stays until it doesn't work.
Next project - work on closets - getting the materials to let me use shelving where I need to and to hang clothes without catching on a lower shelf. Then I need to get closet items into the closets and also set up system for completing some of the WIPs (works in progress) in quilting, counted cross stitch, knitting, one embroidery project, and to set up the craft area so I have a place to put my sewing machine, drum carder and other stuff such as an inkle loom and a rigid heddle loom.
I've found a primary care doctor, an opthamologist, and a counselor/therapist. I'm extremely happy with all of them. The primary care physician (pcp) adjusted my medications and I'm feeling a lot better but still having some setbacks. Nowhere near as horrible as a year ago, but enough to rattle my cage and cause some problems. The counselor is a neat person and we get along well. I've outlined what I expect to achieve with my sessions and she feels they are doable and we are starting to work on those. The eye doctor has put me back on eye drops for the glaucoma as I meet 8 of the 10 criteria he looks at for glaucoma. The next appointment I had with him had my pressures down to 13 and 14. That is terrific as that is the goal other doctors had set as a target pressure. So I'm all set in that area for a while.
Now for something a bit different. I was loaned a book by a friend who thought I would like it. I read it earlier this month and fell in love with it enough that I bought my own copy. It is Down This Road by Holly Young. This is her first book. I can't give specific reasons easily but the main character is one I can identify with along with some of the challenges she meets. It is through reading her journal that we are told her story and meet and love or hate the people around her.
Holly states this is based on a true story. I wish I could have known the actual people used as the spark for the story. If they were anything like the characters, they would be some wonderful people to know. Not many books can have that said about their characters. I believe most people will enjoy the story.
On to other things. I'm test knitting a pair of socks for a designer from Great Britain. I'm having fun with it. The yarn is Opal, Sweet & Spicy in color 636, Peach. The sock on your left is from the beginning of the skein and the other from the other end.
I'm happy with this as my most recent start was yesterday. I've also learned a new trick. The increases for the toe are done with a make 1, front and back. at the beginning of the row, this is done on the first stitch but at the end, you stop 2 stitches before the end, do the kf&b and k1. The neat thing is that the kb part of the stitch puts a small horizontal bar at the base of the stitch. Doing the kf&b in the first stitch of the row puts that bar on one stitch in from the end. Doing the kf&b 2 in from the end has the bar also one stitch in from the end. Something so small does make a bit of a difference. I'm making a 64 stitch sock and will do Eye of Partridge (EoP) for the heel turn and heel 'flap'.
This is my progress on a Kustom Kraft SAL called Early Fall. SAL is Stitch A Long. This reminds me of Lake Nickajack, just a bit west of here on I-24. The river/lake shows along with mountains in the background. I'm doing a method called Parking. I'm working in columns now since I learned another 'new' trick. There are 2 fairly recent videos on YouTube showing how one woman works her parking. Then I also am using another person's method of doing the first leg of the cross, in this case \ and then bringing up the needle in the lower left where I can park the thread. That way I can know for sure where I am with the parked thread. The videos also show the stitcher using one marker to block out portions she has completed but using a 2nd color to mark where these parked stitches are. I'll try to get more detailed photos for the next posting.
Last, I'm finishing my first Bullseye Bump from Loop. Stephanie does a magical process of turning wool and other fibers with bling or sparkle and makes them into a roll where things pull from the center and you end up spinning progressive colorings. This first one was called First Blush and what you are seeing are the outside layers. This started as a medium peach color then moving out to white and then gray. Sounds boring and maybe it is - but I'm having fun spinning it.
The little pieces that look like errors in the picture do not mean I had a dirty lens but are the bits of sparkly stuff. You can see parts of the color changes and I have a soft ball of between softball and volley ball size to finish. I think I will Navajo ply this. That way the colors stay together and I won't have all sorts of bits to add to the yarn. I do have 2 weaver bobbins that have parts of the two previous spinnings. They will be worked in as I ply the yarn so I preserve any color progression. The next one I have is more intense color in it so will be a bit more dramatic when it is done. But that one is on the back burner. Next up in the spinning will be to finish almost 3 lbs of corriedale roving. One lb from Halcyon Yarn is super soft. 2 lbs are from Spunky Eclectic in Maine and will be used in a sweater of some sort. After those are done, washed and dried, then I will start 17 oz of cotton. You may think that's not much but it's about a 2 gallon bag overfilled. I'll also do the handpicked cotton from Cotton Man, which is 2 lbs. It's not quite as much as there are seeds that are heavy with oil. The lint (unspun cotton) is just fairly short and very fine.
When the socks are done, I'll grab one of my WIP knitting and finish it, then another and so on. The SAL will take the longest and I will hope to finish by 1/1/15. The other part of the SAL is that we get one page of the pattern each month. I believe we have 5 pages of 12 so far. I'm still stitching page 1.
So this is most of what's going on. There's more but that will be coming in the next entry. Take care and Enjoy!
I had to update a few things after I somewhat moved in (meaning everything is here but not 100% unpacked). I replaced the dishwasher, added a disposal, installed a new water heater, and replaced the light (one bulb) with a light/fan combo (3 lights) in both my bedroom and the dining room.
At some point I will need to fix the lighting in the kitchen and add small task lights under the upper cabinets. I'll also need a new stove at some point - this one is not self cleaning and the heating elements on top all list to one side or another. None are level nor do they appear to be able to sit level - the clips to hold burners in place are not positioned the same as the holes in the stove top and it also appears someone made them fit. They work which is all I need at this point. I will also need to replace the apartment-sized washer/dryer unit with a new one. This one is old, the ventilation does not work well and the dryer doesn't do a very good job. Eventually the clothes do dry, so it stays until it doesn't work.
Next project - work on closets - getting the materials to let me use shelving where I need to and to hang clothes without catching on a lower shelf. Then I need to get closet items into the closets and also set up system for completing some of the WIPs (works in progress) in quilting, counted cross stitch, knitting, one embroidery project, and to set up the craft area so I have a place to put my sewing machine, drum carder and other stuff such as an inkle loom and a rigid heddle loom.
I've found a primary care doctor, an opthamologist, and a counselor/therapist. I'm extremely happy with all of them. The primary care physician (pcp) adjusted my medications and I'm feeling a lot better but still having some setbacks. Nowhere near as horrible as a year ago, but enough to rattle my cage and cause some problems. The counselor is a neat person and we get along well. I've outlined what I expect to achieve with my sessions and she feels they are doable and we are starting to work on those. The eye doctor has put me back on eye drops for the glaucoma as I meet 8 of the 10 criteria he looks at for glaucoma. The next appointment I had with him had my pressures down to 13 and 14. That is terrific as that is the goal other doctors had set as a target pressure. So I'm all set in that area for a while.
Now for something a bit different. I was loaned a book by a friend who thought I would like it. I read it earlier this month and fell in love with it enough that I bought my own copy. It is Down This Road by Holly Young. This is her first book. I can't give specific reasons easily but the main character is one I can identify with along with some of the challenges she meets. It is through reading her journal that we are told her story and meet and love or hate the people around her.
Holly states this is based on a true story. I wish I could have known the actual people used as the spark for the story. If they were anything like the characters, they would be some wonderful people to know. Not many books can have that said about their characters. I believe most people will enjoy the story.
On to other things. I'm test knitting a pair of socks for a designer from Great Britain. I'm having fun with it. The yarn is Opal, Sweet & Spicy in color 636, Peach. The sock on your left is from the beginning of the skein and the other from the other end.
I'm happy with this as my most recent start was yesterday. I've also learned a new trick. The increases for the toe are done with a make 1, front and back. at the beginning of the row, this is done on the first stitch but at the end, you stop 2 stitches before the end, do the kf&b and k1. The neat thing is that the kb part of the stitch puts a small horizontal bar at the base of the stitch. Doing the kf&b in the first stitch of the row puts that bar on one stitch in from the end. Doing the kf&b 2 in from the end has the bar also one stitch in from the end. Something so small does make a bit of a difference. I'm making a 64 stitch sock and will do Eye of Partridge (EoP) for the heel turn and heel 'flap'. This is my progress on a Kustom Kraft SAL called Early Fall. SAL is Stitch A Long. This reminds me of Lake Nickajack, just a bit west of here on I-24. The river/lake shows along with mountains in the background. I'm doing a method called Parking. I'm working in columns now since I learned another 'new' trick. There are 2 fairly recent videos on YouTube showing how one woman works her parking. Then I also am using another person's method of doing the first leg of the cross, in this case \ and then bringing up the needle in the lower left where I can park the thread. That way I can know for sure where I am with the parked thread. The videos also show the stitcher using one marker to block out portions she has completed but using a 2nd color to mark where these parked stitches are. I'll try to get more detailed photos for the next posting.
Last, I'm finishing my first Bullseye Bump from Loop. Stephanie does a magical process of turning wool and other fibers with bling or sparkle and makes them into a roll where things pull from the center and you end up spinning progressive colorings. This first one was called First Blush and what you are seeing are the outside layers. This started as a medium peach color then moving out to white and then gray. Sounds boring and maybe it is - but I'm having fun spinning it.
When the socks are done, I'll grab one of my WIP knitting and finish it, then another and so on. The SAL will take the longest and I will hope to finish by 1/1/15. The other part of the SAL is that we get one page of the pattern each month. I believe we have 5 pages of 12 so far. I'm still stitching page 1.
So this is most of what's going on. There's more but that will be coming in the next entry. Take care and Enjoy!
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